Weeks in advance I was already looking forward to this one weekend: Finally I was going back to my beloved Dolomites – this magical place with imposing mountains and surreal lakes surrounded by imposing peaks. I wanted to show my friend Bea places I’ve been to many times, places that are just always worth a visit. But also explore places with her, which I myself did not yet know (so well).
On Friday evening we left Munich via Garmisch, Mittenwald and the Brenner Pass to Olang in South Tyrol. A small town located below the Kronplatz mountain – a very popular skiing area in winter. For us, Valdaora was the perfect starting point to head towards our first destination the next day: Lago di Braies (Braies Lake).
The Pragser Wildsee – visitor magnet of the Dolomites
The Pragser Wildsee is a mountain lake in the Pragser Valley between Bruneck and Toblach and part of the Fanes-Sennes-Prags Nature Park – and thus a protected natural monument. It became known mainly through countless pictures on social media and since then it has become one of the visitor magnets in the Dolomites.
You can’t blame the visitors, because the color of the lake is almost emerald and with the view of the Seekofel (2810 m) in the background, the mountain-lake romance is just perfect. Bea and I walked around the lake for a bit and enjoyed the sun slowly streaming in, giving the lake a beautiful turquoise light. The day could not have started better.
For lunch we made a short detour to San Candido (San Candido). The town impresses above all with its pedestrian zone with many small stores, at the end of which the marketplace awaits with a view of the Haunold (2966 m) – simply ingenious. For us it was shopping right on the first day – with the many homemade souvenirs we just could not resist.
Far away from the crowds – the Lago di Dobbiaco
Next, we headed south and made a quick stop at Lago di Dobbiaco (Dobbiaco Lake). One of my favorite places to visit every time I’m in the Dolomites. Unlike Lago di Braies, here you won’t find crowds of people trying to take the perfect picture, but people who want to spend their day in peace and enjoy the idyll of the lake during a walk. Also gladly in connection with a picnic. The view of the mountains behind fascinates me every time anew and also Bea could only share my enthusiasm for this beautiful place.
We continued to Cortina d`Ampezzo, where we had booked a hotel in the city for one night. For me, one of the most beautiful towns in the Dolomites. Almost all the houses are still really original – planted with colorful flowers and lovingly prepared. Our hotel (Hotel Corona) had a great location, and from our balcony we had a super view of the river, the small town center and the surrounding mountains. After arriving, we just sat outside for a few minutes and enjoyed the view that opened up before us. After the short rest, we then explored the city center a bit and treated ourselves to two pieces of cake with mountain views in the Pasticceria Lovat.
Hiking backpacks by Tatonka with functional features and ventilated carrying system.
In different sizes and colors.
Snack and sunset at the Tre Cime di Lavaredo (Three Peaks)
For dinner we had cooked up a very special plan: snack and sunset at the Tre Cime di Lavaredo (Three Peaks). For this we bought a little something in the local supermarket – a special mention should get here the mountain cheese Alta Badia, because it tastes simply ingenious!!! – and drove over the Lago di Misurina (Lake Misurina) to the Rifugio Auronzo. Since this route is partly a toll road, you have to pay a fee of 30 euros here. Arrived at the top, we were pleasantly surprised how few cars were at the parking lot. Again, early in the morning and in the evening there are not so many people on the road – to our delight.
Reading tip: How to treat and avoid blisters
So off we went, hiking behind the Three Peaks past the Cappella degli Alpini and the Rifugio Lavaredo to the Paternsattel. From there you get the first real view of the front of the Three Peaks. And I am impressed every time anew by the rock formation that rises hundreds of meters into the air.
Also Bea could not get enough of this beautiful spot on earth. Because it’s not only the Three Peaks that you can see up here. You look at the Lavaredo Mountains, the Paternkofel, the Three Peaks Hut, the Haunold Massif, the Braies Dolomites and many more. And we saw all this in a wonderful soft evening light that made the green meadows look perfect and the mountains almost gentle. We had our snack right in front of the Three Peaks on a small rock and were just blissful in that moment.
What we unfortunately had not considered: Even in summer, it can get very cold up there in the evening, especially if, as in our case, there is also a strong wind. So packing a down jacket definitely can not hurt, possibly also the emergency gloves. We kept warm with movement and shivered towards the sunset. Due to the many clouds, we were at first unsure whether we would see the sun set at all, but then we got to see a beautiful spectacle in the sky – and already the cold was only a minor matter.
Hike to the Lago di Sorapis
Back in our hotel in Cortina d`Ampezzo, Bea and I had a hot shower and looked forward to the next day. Because there it went for us to the probably most beautiful lake in the whole Dolomites: the Lago di Sorapis (Sorapissee). Unlike the Lago di Braies, this one is not located at a parking lot, but wants to be hiked.
The path starts at Passo Tre Croci and leads to the lake in about 1.5 hours. Just before the lake is the Rifugio Alfonso Vandelli, where you can also spend the night. However, we were first drawn to Lake Sorapi, which is only a few minutes away from the hut. As soon as you go over the last crest, you see the turquoise blue of the small lake and you can’t help but be completely in love for a moment. The next moment we noticed the crowds again and continued to the other end of the lake. Here you can always find a place (best on a rock) where you are undisturbed and can just enjoy the scenery.
After taking a long break, we were drawn towards the hut for lunch. In summer, it’s wonderful to sit outside, eat some bacon dumplings and enjoy the view. And if there is still room (and even if not), you should treat yourself to the crowning glory of homemade carrot cake with cream – just delicious!
Mountain paradise Cinque Torri – flowering meadows and imposing peaks
For us, it was time to descend and get back in the car to drive to our last stop: the Cinque Torri. Since we had booked a night at the Rifugio Cinque Torri, we parked our car at the bottom of the chairlift parking lot. Since we were already late and were supposed to be at the hut by 6 p.m., we took the chairlift as an exception and saved ourselves a few meters of altitude.
Once at the top, we were both just speechless. This place was one of those I didn’t know (that well), and we both agreed “All done right!!!”. We were surrounded by imposing mountains, a 360 degree panorama and green meadows in bloom. We couldn’t believe the paradise we had landed in. Before we explored the area further, we descended to the hut, put down our luggage and again packed everything for a snack. This time we had also packed warmer clothes – you just learn from your mistakes.
So we set off for a circumnavigation of the Cinque Torri – the Five Towers. We climbed through large rocks, on narrow paths past trenches from World War I – the area is also very interesting historically. Bea and I couldn’t get out of our amazement and couldn’t decide where to set up our snack. In the end, we decided on a place with a view of the Tofana di Rozes (3225 m). And even though the sunset that evening was not quite as impressive, we fell into bed overjoyed after this eventful day.
For the last day and for the crowning conclusion we had chosen a hike to the two nearby huts Rifugio Averau and Nuvolau. Since we started directly after breakfast, there were still very few people on the road and we could fully enjoy the peace and quiet on the ascent. The higher we hiked, the more impressed we were by the view. Arrived at the Rifugio Averau, the view opened up to us into the valley on the other side, we could even see the highest mountain in the Dolomites: the Marmolata (3343 m). But for us it went further to the Rifugio Nuvolau, where we were finally completely in love and speechless at the same time. The hut is our absolute “insider tip” in terms of views, because you can see so much of the Dolomites and we could even look up to the Großglockner. A unique 360-degree panorama, which we toasted with a ski water. Our short vacation in the Dolomites could not have ended better.
